Plans are afoot to introduce stipulations on international contracting companies that are bidding for projects in Oman in an apparent move to encourage local firms to get more business.
This follows Oman Society of Contractors, the umbrella body of contracting firms in the country requesting for reducing the dependency on international firms and making Omani construction industry more competent and confident.
Of late, local firms are facing tough competition from international giants, especially Turkish contracting firms while bidding for local projects. Two leading road dualization projects each worth more than OMR 100 million were bagged by two Turkish firms.
Mr Salim Talib Al Sheedi CEO of Oman Society of Contractors said that "We need to encourage the local companies which have the required skills and who are gearing up to face the global challenges elsewhere as well. The open to all approach of the Sultanate invites lots of international contracting firms to engage in the tendering and thereby involve in the contracting process.”
Mr Al Sheedi said that now the situation is remarked to strengthen the local contractors in order to implement the infrastructure projects by absorbing professional approach and futuristic technologies for ensuring sustainable and development pathways in the Sultanate. Skills of the Omani workforce and their technical resources have to be utilized in the Oman infrastructure development interventions by giving more opportunities to the local construction companies.
The OSC board meeting held on August 27th 2011 decided to develop new strategies and approaches for making the small and medium enterprises sector more productive and vibrant. SME promotion is identified as core strategy for strengthening the local industrial stake holders and OSC ensures lively support from Tender Board, Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Right now lots of local Omani construction firms are entering in the field to handle giant infrastructure projects with highly technically professionalized workforce and well defined approach in health and safety standards and its is observed as a good sign of strengthening local hands in construction.
It is expected that local contractors could make use of the available resources to reach at the top of the Oman construction industry and can reduce the over dependency over international companies. OSC has been trying to strengthen capacity building process of the local construction firms and is encouraged to reflect the concerns of the industry to the regulatory bodies and ensure that the industry performs well.
This aspect is evident in the successfully participation of several Omani managed companies engaging in construction projects in Asian and other neighbor countries with competitiveness and technological innovations.
(Sourced from Times of Oman)
